Discourse and Learning Lab

School of Education

Projects

Middle School Students Engaged in ScienceHybrid2

Creating Equitable Spaces for Science Discourse in Blended Learning Environments

This 4-year IES Exploration project (2024–28, PI: Bae, Co-PIs: Xie, Krajcik, Fife, Baskshi) aims to re-imagine science learning spaces for middle school students by designing hybrid2 science discourse activities. Partnering with teachers in Richmond, VA and Lansing, MI, the team will explore how connecting students’ lives with science (Hybrid 1) and technology-supported blended learning (Hybrid 2) can be integrated to create inclusive and engaging opportunities for underrepresented students to talk science. Through action research lesson study cycles, the project will examine how hybrid2 discourse spaces can foster student agency and engagement, connect everyday experiences with disciplinary science, and promote high-quality science learning.
This work is supported by the Institute of Education Sciences R305A240345

Science Discourse Project

Science Discourse Project

This NSF CAREER 5-year project (2019-24, PI: Bae) aims to support engaging opportunities for middle school students to talk science in their classrooms. The team aims to identify ways to connect science phenomena to students’ lived experiences, and track the ways in which students are motivated to engage in scientific discourse. Teachers from Richmond and Chesterfield Public Schools partner with the team to facilitate science talk.
NSF CAREER award description

SCOPP Project

SCOPP Project

This 4-year partnership between VCU, CSU East Bay, and Alameda County of Office of Education (2018-23, PI: Hayes, CoPI: Bae, O’Connor, Seitz) aims to support high-quality science teaching and learning across six urban districts in the San Francisco Bay Area. The team aims to implement and examine the longitudinal effects of elementary teachers’ participation in a comprehensive professional development program on science teaching practices and students learning. NSF DRK12 award description

Past Projects

  • VCU Big Idea Grant (2023-24), PI: Lee Bae
  • VCU Breakthrough Grant (2022-23): PI:  Satyam, R. , CoPIs: Nicolai, Aldi, Moore, Lee Bae
  • U.S. DOE SEED, PI: Dozier, T., CoPIs: Senechal, Abrams, Bae
  • APA Division 15 Early Career Research Grant, PI: Bae
  • VCU School of Education, Get Centered Research Grant, PI: Bae
  • VCU Office of the VP for Research and Innovation Internal Research Grant, PI: Bae
  • California Mathematics and Science Partnership (CaMSP) Professional Development Program, PI: O’Connor, Co-PIs: Bae, Seitz, Hayes
  • NSF DRK12 Next Generation Project Alliance for Science Education Toolkit (ASET), PI: DiStefano, CoPIs: Bae, Korb, DeLuc
  • NSF Integrated Middle School Science (IMSS) Partnership, PI: Seitz, CoPIs: DiStefano, O’Connor, Postdoctoral Researcher: Bae